stewart



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. H. STEWART. BRICK MACHINE.

No. 306,660.- Patented Oct. 14, 1884;

(N0 Modl.) a Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. H. STEWART.

BRICK MACHINE.

N0. 306,660. Patented 06 14, 1884.

lllllllll @[lllll nnmu llglll oi E u (No Model.) Q I 3 sheetssheet 3.

' W. H..STEWART.

BRICK MACHINE. v N0. 306,660. Pafcented001;. 14, 1884.

WILLIAM H. STEVVA RT, OF BOONEVILLE, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOJAMES WILOOXSON, OF SAME PLACE.

BRICK-MACHINE.

GEECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 306,660, dated October14, 1884.

Application filed March 15, 1884. (N model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. STEWART,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Booneville, in the county ofCooper and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Brick-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full,

clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure l is aside view of my improved machine wit-h a portion of the frame brokenaway. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a front View. *Figs. 4 to 8,inclusive, are details of construction.

My invention consists in the novel arrangement and combination ofdevices, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, and isan improvement on my application No. 112,289, allowed January 8,1884.

To enable others skilled in'the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the exact manner in which I have carried it-out. Inthe said drawings, A represents a frame constructed of any suitablematerial and shape, but preferably in the form shown in the drawings. Journaled in the sides of the frame by any suitable means is a shaft, a,upon which are mounted the toothed drive-wheels D D located on oppositesides of the frame A.

Z Z represent drive-pinions, which are connected to mechanism by whichpower is derived to operate the device, and are suitably journaled inthe frame, and mounted upon a shaft, a. Thus the pinions Z Z anddrivewheels D D are caused to move simultaneously.- Upon the shaft a isalso mounted a pinion, a adapted to intermesh with a gearwheel, F,suitably journaled in the frame A, and this gear-wheel F again engagesor meshes with another gear-wheel, F, mounted upon a shaft, f. By thearrangement of this train of gearing motion is imparted to a segment orcam-wheel, K, also secured on the shaft f. The periphery of the hub ofthe segment is also connected tothe outer curved portion of the cam byspokes 7t 7t id, as many of which may be employed as found desirable.The

spokes k 70" are formed with cam-shaped surfaces, and are constructed inan inclined position in relation to the center of the shaft, and may beslanted to any number of degreesi. e. so that when the segment or camKis revolved in the direction of the arrow, and the spoke is forcedagainst and at an inclination upon the roller N, it will force the saidroller forward, and also the sliding. bars B, to which 'and betweenwhich the rollers are securely pivoted, and as the segment continues torevolve it will bring the cam-facedspoke 70 against the roller N, andthus force this roller and the sliding bar back into their normalposition. The sliding bar B is formed with a slot, b, through which passthe ends of the shaft f. This slot, in conjunction with the segment Kand the rollers N N, permits of a free-andeasy longitudinal slidingmovement of the bars 13. The bars B have flanges b, by which they arebolted or otherwise firmly secured to the mold-frame M, made preferablyin the form shown, and provided with any desirable number ofcompartments, preferably rectangular in shape, so as to correspond withthe form of bricks now generally in use. The 7 5 mold-frame, beingsecurely attached to the sliding bars, is also moved backward andforward on a bed, D, by the means just referred 00.

Upon one of a series of spokes constituting 8o a part of the wheel D D"are formed projecting pins 1) b and to each of these pins are pivotallysecured the upper ends of the connecting-rods B B while the lower endsof these rods are connected by means of the projecting pins Z Z to thefree end of a cam or eccentric, 'L L, which is pivotally secured betweenthe sides of the frames, as shown in Fig. 1. The cam L has also pins Z Zformed on it, and to these pins are connected by a strap, P, the con- 0necting-arms L L which extend at an inclination toward the front of themachine, and are connected at a point, 1, to the arms which constitutethe toggle-joint M, for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully setforth. I 5

It will be noticed that the openings formed by the straps Z and the endof the connectingarms L L are slightly larger than the diameter of thepins Z Z, and by this construction I am enabled to keep the arms Lstationary, while the cam and pin are permitted to move from the linemarked dirt-line to the limit, and thence back again to the dirt-line.

The object of keeping the arms L L stationary for a short period is forthe purpose of permitting the mold-frame to complete its journey. Thus Iam enabled to utilize the time that the upper compressor is moving awayfrom the mold-frame as well as when it is returning, which would not bethe case if the toggle-joint received its motion directly from the cam Nas shown in my former application above referred to.

lVithin the cam L, and pivotally secured on the shaft Z Z, is aconnecting-arm, N, which is also pivotally secured to the free end ofthe cam N by means of a shaft, m, which passes through the cam andthrough an opening formed in the frame, and extends beyond the surfaceof the frame, so as to form bearings for the forward end of the rod N,as shown in Fig. 3. The upper surface of the cam N is slottedlongitudinally at 2 to receive the small rollers 02 a, while the saidcam is also slotted transversely to receive the ends of a shaft uponwhich rollers a a are mounted. The lower compressor, N, is adapted toslide in guides formed by the plate 3, and its lower face is camshapedto engage the rollers n a when it is desired to compress the dirt in themold. The lower compressor, N", has a vertical slot, or, through whichis passed and in which plays the shaft of, while the upper portion ofthis slot is contracted to form a narrow slot, a, which is intended toadmit the partitions formed in the mold when the lower compressor isforced upward. Horizontal curved levers O O, mounted upon the shaft ahave small rollers 0 0 suitably journaled upon their outer ends, and onthese rollers rest the verticallymoving pushers I, provided withupwardly-extending arms 1) 1), four of which are mounted upon eachpusher in substantially the same manner and for the same purpose asthose shown in my former application, as is also the case with the bedof my present machine, although, if preferred, I can increase ordiminish the number of openings formed in the bed for the reception ofthe upper arms of the pushers, &c.

To an upwardlyextending portion, A, of the frame is suitably secured theupper compressor, It, which is constructed substantially as shown, andhas a solid head having formers 1', similar in form and construction tothose on the lower compressor. The upper compressor, It, is formed witha chamber, Q, in which are placed suitable liquids, for apurposehereinafter set forth.

To the compressor Rare suitably secured, by bolts or otherwise, segmentsor arches S S, which extend over or encircle the heads T T, formed 011 ashaft, 5. The ends of said shaft extend beyond the side of thecompressor,

and to this shaft are pivotally connected the plungerrods G" C, whichare in turn connected to the shaft an, attached to the cam N. The headsT T have contracted and slightly curved extensions, which project intothe chamber Q of the compressor It, and to the lower ends of theseextensions is secured a plunger, U, which is adapted to closely fit theinner sides of the said chamber. In the plunger U are formed openings 67 S, for a purpose hereinafter eX- plained.

Mounted upon the shaft 5, and between the heads T, is anoutwardly-extending arm, S", which is adapted to receive a weight bywhich the movement of the said arm and its connections is controlled,and on this arm are also formed pins 8 3, arranged equidistant from thecenter of the shaft 5. To ,the pin 5 is secured, by a strap orotherwise, a downwardlyprojecting arm, S", the lower end of which restsupon the plunger U and closes the open ings 8, formed therein, whilefrom the pin 8 projects an arm which has its lower end of smallerdiameter than the arm itself, and adapted to be passed through theopening 6. Thus it will be seen that 'the upward movement of the cam iwill cause the plunger rods to raise the heads T slightly, the distancebeing determined by means of set-screws secured to the compressor R, asshown in Figs. 1, 4, and

The operation of my present invention is substantially the same as in myformer application, except the movements of the upper compressor,R,which I will now describe, The required amount of water (or, ifdesired, I can use compressed air or gas) having been placed in thechamber Q, and the plunger placed in the said chamber, it is evidentthat the dropvalve would close by the upward action of the water, andthe plunger could not descend in relation to itsposition in the chamberQ; but it could descend in relation to its downward movement if theextending arms of the compressor R sink deeper into the mold-frame, andby this means effectually compressing the dirt, but if the compressor indescending meets with an incompressible substance which is foreign todirt or clay, or, in other words, a substance that has a greaterresisting power than the strength of the press is able to overcome, thenit is that the valve 8 registers the amount of pressure that is requiredto make the brick, and also registers the amount of labor that themovements and strength of the press are able to overcome by raising therod attached to the weighted arm and permitting the water to flow intothe chamber above the plunger-head and allowing the plunger to descend,thereby permitting the press to make its complete movement withoutcompelling the compressor It to overcome a resistance that is greaterthan the strength of the press. Now, if the downward movement of theplunger-rods be reversed, thereby liftin g the shaft 5 and heads T T,then the red attached to the weighted arm will close the opening formedin the plunger-head, and the valve will open and permitthewater that hasescaped into the chamber above the plunger to flow back, and thecompressor B would remain in the mold if I did not provide means forraising it; but, as shown in the drawings, the plunger-rods arepermitted to raise the heads and shaft 5 until the saidheads come incontact with the setscrews attached to the segments or arches secured tothe compressor-frame. This movement will raise the compressor from themold. Again, we will suppose that the shaft 5 and its connectionsascend, say, one-fourth of an inch before lifting the compressor R outof the mold by the means referred to in the preceding paragraph. Thenthe compressor will be one-fourth of an inch too low, when by its ownweight it is permitted to descend by the downward movement of the shaft5 and heads, as before stated, and at this time, instead of thecompressor meeting too much resistance, it finds the mold not quitefull, and when it comes in contact with the dirt the drop-valve willagain close,because of the natural tendency of the water to escape frombetween the compressor and the downward movement of the plunger. Thusthe compressor is drawninto the mold with as much force as if the waterwere asolid substance, until the continued movement of the plunger-rodshas, through the agency of the Water, driven the compressor into themold until the solidity of the clay resists the pressure that makes abrick, whenthe valve again opens, but this time a little later thanbefore, as regards the movement of the press, because there is not quiteenough dirt in the mold to make a brick of standard thickness; and as abrick that is a little thin is better than one that is worthless, thenit is that the benefits of my construction are apparent, because, if thea compressor were limited to a certain travel,

strain upon the press, which consists, essentially, of a compressorhaving a chamber for the reception of liquids or gases, in combinationwith a shaft, 5, heads T T, a weighted arm having depending rods, aplunger having openings, segments or arches secured to the frame of thecompressor, and themeans for raising and lowering the shaft 5 and itsconnections, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a brick-machine, the toothed drivewheels D D mounted upon a shaft,a, in combination with pinion a gears F F, located between the sides ofa frame, and the means for giving a reciprocating motion to amold-frame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a brick-machine, the combination of the drive-wheels D providedwith pins b If, the connecting-rods B B, the cam provided. with pins ZZ, the arm N and the means for raising the lower compressor,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4:. In a brick-machine, the drive-wheel D, Connecting-rods B B cam L,provided with pins Z Z, and the herein-described means for keeping therods L L stationary for a short period, for the purpose of allowing themoldframe to complete its travel, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

5. In a brick-machine, the cam N slotted longitudinally and transverselyfor the reception of the rollers 12 a, in combination with the lowercompressor, N and the means for moving said cam, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

. 6. In a brick-machine, the connecting-rods L L and the means forkeeping the said rods stationary for a specified period, in combinationwith the toggle-joint M and the hereindescribed means for raising thepushers P P, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a brick-machine, the upper compressor, R, provided with a chamberfor the reception of liquids, in combination with a plunger attached toheads secured on a shaft, 5, a weighted arm provided with dependingrods, and the means for raising and lowering the said plunger and itsconnection, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

WILLIAM H. STEWART.

Witnesses:

RICHARD HADELIOH, WM. RooKwE L.

